Safeload Coverage
Most people can be hesitant in needing to move. What’s worse is most people don’t want to waste their whole weekend off trying to help someone else move. Whether you can’t afford movers or you’re trying to save money, we have some tips for you.
- Tell them you recognize the huge favor
- Be prepared if someone tells you no because they can’t help or don’t want to help
- Keep their schedule in mind
- Give them and yourself flexibility to help
- Set moving expectations
- Don’t be a move-zilla
- Create and set a plan
- Be organized and prepared
- Show your appreciation
- Hire the experts when it’s needed
- Return the favor
Let’s dive in together in how you can start the process of asking for help with your move.
1. Tell Them You Recognize the Huge Favor
When you need help moving, you need to acknowledge to the person you realize how enormous this favor is to help you. Moving is never a simple or quick process, but if you plan it well, it doesn’t have to be a miserable experience either.
By recognizing your appreciation early, they’ll understand what this favor means to you. You also should ask for help in person or over the phone. You never want to be that person that asks over social media.
2. Be Prepared for Someone to Tell You No
People are going to tell you no. People will be busy, have plans already, or make an excuse to not help you. You shouldn’t be offended that they didn’t say yes. You should just move on to the next person who might help you.
3. Keep Their Schedule in Mind
You should never ask someone to help you move the night before you need help moving. You also should keep in mind the other person’s schedule, and you should work around their schedule.
If you give people plenty of advance notice to help you, the odds of someone saying yes will increase.
If you need help packing, consider having packing sessions with multiple people. Maybe everyone can’t help you all day Saturday. Maybe some people can help you for an hour on Monday, three hours on Thursday, or eight hours on Sunday.
While most people are probably free on the weekends, you shouldn’t assume the weekends are the best time for everyone to help you. Some people might rather help you during the week, so they can have the weekends to themselves.
4. Give Them and Yourself Flexibility to Help
Emergencies do happen, so please make sure you give yourself and the people helping you some flexibility. If someone has a family, maybe their child got sick and have to take care of their child.
This is something to think about when asking people to help you move. When you try to figure out how to ask someone to help you move, you should know which friends have multiple responsibilities at home vs. other friends who have less responsibilities at home.
That doesn’t mean people with more responsibilities at home won’t help you, but you’ll want to keep that in mind.
5. Set Moving Expectations
You should always be clear and honest with your moving expectations. You definitely shouldn’t lie either.
If you plan on having them help you move heavy furniture, make sure they’re aware of the situation. If you want them to help you pack, you should make it clear they are there to help you pack.
No one likes being tricked about what will happen during moving day. Some of your friends might be better at packing than lifting heavy furniture. While some of your friends would rather lift heavy furniture vs. helping you pack.
6. Don’t be a Move-Zilla
You should never be mean or rude to your friends, family, or anyone else who lends them their time to help you move. Yes, you should be in charge of moving day. That doesn’t mean you need to be a jerk either.
You’re going to be a team leader, not an evil ruler.
It’ll help keep everyone’s emotions in check after a long day. People can get frustrated quickly during a move if you’re being bossy or ungrateful.
7. Create and Set a Plan
You should create and set a plan with everyone who is helping you move. You shouldn’t leave out any details about what will happen. Your friends should know what time to show up, where to show up, and how long they’ll help you move.
You could offer to pay for their gas, but if they decline, that’s OK. They’ll appreciate that you asked them.
You also should make sure you have a plan in place on how to provide refreshments for your friends, family, and others helping you move. You can provide water, Gatorade, and snacks such as fruit, mixed nuts, or grab-and-go snacks.
8. Be Organized and Prepared
Speaking of creating and setting a plan, you should be organized and prepared on moving day. Your friends will be upset if they show up to help you load and unload your belongings only to find out you’re not done packing.
If your friends are only going to help you load and unload, make sure you’re ready for them to load and unload your items ahead of time. If you run behind and need help packing, try to get it done ahead of time.
Worst-case scenario, let your friends know ahead of time that they’ll help you finish packing a few items before they begin helping you load and unload your belongings. Your friends might not be happy that you’re not ready to go, but they’ll at least not be surprised to show up at your place to start helping you pack.
Communication goes a long way in any situation. Moving is no different, and the least stressful moves have the best lines of communication.
9. Show Your Appreciation
After you’re done moving, show your appreciation. Yes, you need to tell your friends, family, and whoever else help you move by saying thank you.
People like hearing thank you after helping a friend with a task, especially one like moving.
Don’t just stop there though.
You should treat your friends to pizza and beer, drinks later in the week, or host a housewarming party with them after you’re settled into your new place.
You also could get them a gift card to their favorite restaurant, coffee shop, or bookstore.
Is your budget tight on money? You can create homemade thank you cards to give to everyone who helped you move.
It’s true what they say, “Actions speak louder than words.”
After you say, “Thank you” to everyone who helped you move, make sure your actions afterward also express your gratitude and appreciation for their help.
10. Hire the Experts When It’s Needed
Sometimes you just need to hire experts to help you move. It could be a safety reason, or maybe you and your friends don’t have the expertise to move a piano or move a gun safe.
Maybe you need a lending hand to help you pack. Moving Help® is here to help you with whatever part of your move.
11. Return the Favor
People move all the time. The average person will move 11.7 times in their lifetime, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
If your friends are in a similar situation to you when they’re moving, make sure you accept their offer to help them move. They took the time to help you move, and you should take the time to help them move.
Friendships work both ways in returning favors, and this is no different.
Friends Can Help You Move
While not all your friends, family, and others will help you move, some might help you move. With these 11 tips on how to ask someone to help you move, you should be prepared on the etiquette on what to expect when someone lends you their time.
If for some reason no one is available to help you move, Moving Help is here to assist you. We have Service Providers who can help you with packing and unpacking, loading and unloading, cleaning, and more starting at 2 hours.
